Rose Theatre bloomsafter 400 YearsThe Rose Theatre Exhibition, on the site of the Elizabethan Southwark Theatre where England's greatest playwright, William Shakespeare, may have learnt his craft, has at last opened to the public for the first time. Britannia's roving reporter, Jane Johnson, went along to the official opening on 13th April.

"Cry
God for Harry, England and the
Rose"

In 1989, shortly after the
remains of the original Elizabethan theatre were
discovered during building excavations, the late
Sir Laurence Olivier rallied support for the
site's preservation, with the above words,
adapted from the battle-cry of the most famous
Shakespearean part he ever played: the title
character in Henry V.

After the Government had
declined to declare the site a national monument,
stalwart campaigners like the late Shakespearean
Actress, Dame Peggy Ashcroft, had been prepared
to defy building operations until the last
moment. Those desperate days in 1989, are now
gone, though not forgotten, as Simon Hughes,
Member of Parliament for Southwark and trustee of
the Rose Theatre Trust, recalls. Developers were
persuaded to revise their plans and have created
an area to preserve and display the remains of
the Rose in situ. Three massive steel
girders were inserted above
to support the thirteen-storey Rose Court
office-block; and it was here that many of the
original campaigners recently joined with the
stars of "Shakespeare in Love," press,
politicians, English Heritage and Rose Theatre
Trust Representatives to attend the opening of
the site as National tourist attraction.

In his opening speech, Chris
Smith, Minister of State for the Culture, Media
and Sport, reminded those gathered that it was a
good year for Shakespeare. Not only had BBC Radio
4 listeners voted him, "Man of the
Millennium," the nearby reconstructed
Elizabethan Globe Theatre was enjoying
unprecedented success, while "Shakespeare in
Love" featuring the Rose itself, and
been awarded both Oscar and BAFTA Awards. He
quoted the celebrated French writer, Alexander
Dumas who had rated Shakespeare "Second Only
to God"

Archaeologists told of the
fragility of emergency preservation measures that
had been undertaken in 1989. The water-logged
chalk foundations and timber drain structures
excavated at that time were only exposed long
enough to be photographed and accurately mapped.
In order to preserve the remains, they were
quickly sealed beneath a thick layer of sand
under a concrete cap. Today, this is all hidden
beneath a large pool of water and English
Heritage employees constantly monitor the whole
area for signs of degradation.

Speakers
pledged their commitment to the long-term total
excavation and preservation of the site, which The
Times has described as the "most
exciting archaeological find since
Tutankamhun." As the project will cost many
millions of pounds, the audience were urged to
join the Friends of the Rose Theatre Trust which
is dedicated to fulfilling these goals. Simon
Hughes recalled that Bankside, where the Rose
is situated, is once more being acclaimed for the
arts after several centuries of use as a
warehousing area. The transformation of the
Bankside Power Station into the Tate Gallery of
Modern Art, to be completed shortly, the
resurrection of the Globe and now the opening of
the Rose Exhibition have all contributed
to this reclamation.

Janet Suzman, World-famous
Shakespearean actress, early campaigner and trust
patron, spoke of her joy at the opening of the
site. William Dudley, award-winning theatre
designer has masterminded a state of the art
son-et-lumire style presentation
there. Floating electroluminescent pads imported
from America mark important features of the
polygonal theatre foundations, currently hidden
from view, while a video presentation narrated by
Sir Ian McKellen, a major supporter of the Rose,
traces the history of the theatre and its
rediscovery.

Discover The Rose
Theatre Exhibitionat 56 Park Street, London SE1
9AR

Open Every Day of the Year,
except Christmas & Boxing Day.There is a small entrance fee.
Joint tickets with the nearby active Globe
Theatre reconstruction are available.